


goodbye, weak point

by shindouchrono



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Jealousy, Lack of Communication, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 23:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18303929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shindouchrono/pseuds/shindouchrono
Summary: If Iori noticed that Riku was angry that night, he didn't say anything. If Iori noticed that Riku stopped talking partway through the conversation-- even when Tenn-nii was brought up-- he still didn't say anything!Which was the most frustrating part!





	goodbye, weak point

Maybe Riku was more childish than he ever truly let anyone know. Sure,  _ everyone _ knew he could be a bit of a brat-- and Iori always called Riku spoiled.

Which he often denied, or turned the insult back on Iori. 

It was true, though. Riku  _ knew _ he could be a bit spoiled. He tried to not be selfish or childish on purpose, but sometimes it boiled over to the surface for all to see. Yamato, too, would say that Riku was just really good at getting people to do what he wanted, but the redhead normally didn't do that on purpose.

Iori would never admit to doing such a thing, but it was obvious in his actions. He'd never outright complain to Riku's face, but Iori  _ would  _ point out Riku's “puppy-dog eyes”, which absolutely were not on purpose!

Most of the time, at least.

Riku shifts in his beanbag. He's been reading this book for a while, but his thoughts have begun to get away from him.

It was all because a couple days ago, they were all sitting down and talking at dinner about Trigger. Somehow, it ended up with them talking about how everyone in Trigger was good-looking.

Riku agreed.

Gaku was naturally beautiful, with his soft-looking grey hair and sharp eyes. His shoulders were wide and his hands were a lot larger than Riku's. It wouldn’t ever come up, but Riku could  _ totally  _ see the appeal in being embraced by a man like that.

Ryuu had his charm points, too! His eyes, piercing and gold like a mischievous cat… his smile was so natural and beaming, like it was taken out of a painting! Knowing that he wasn't the lady killer the media said was, truthfully, super cute. Just like Gaku, the appeal was there.

Of course, Riku thought Tenn-nii was the coolest of them all. Maybe Trigger's imagery of his brother made Riku uncomfortable sometimes, but Tenn-nii looked so cool standing up there! His brother always looked so picturesque, and Riku felt blessed to have that person with him for so long. He knew that smile Kujou Tenn of Trigger had was so much different from Nanase Tenn's smile, but it was still Tenn-nii. 

It was still the twin he loved more than anything else in the world. 

“...Ah.” Riku's book falls out of his hands. He stopped paying attention to it, and even dropped it. “Sorry.”

After apologizing to the book, Riku picks it up and puts it back in its place on the shelf.

It was how Iori talked about Gaku that made him upset. 

That sort of praise for his good looks Riku could understand, but it was still frustrating. That conversation took place in a group, too, so it's not like Riku could have said anything about it then! 

If Iori noticed that Riku was angry that night, he didn't say anything. If Iori noticed that Riku stopped talking partway through the conversation-- even when Tenn-nii was brought up-- he still  _ didn't say anything! _

Which was the most frustrating part!  Maybe if Iori had noticed and  _ said  _ something, Riku would be less angry with his boyfriend! Everyone-- like,  _ literally everyone, _ said that  _ Iori _ was the one who looked at Riku the most, which clearly wasn't true!!

Because if it was true, then Iori would have said something!  _ Anything! _

Riku was probably being childish and immature, and Iori would scold him had he decided to say anything-- but he didn't. 

It was a leap of logic. It was irrational, and Riku knew full well.

“If he thinks Yaotome-san is so good-looking and adult like, maybe I should get Manager to set  _ them _ up. I'm sure Iori would like Gaku better than he likes me!” 

Yeah, okay, it was kind of pathetic for him to be speaking alone to his books at-- Riku takes a glance in the direction of his clock-- 1AM?! 

Iori was going to be angry if he found out. It was tempting to stay up even later, and lose himself in a book…

But Riku knew he shouldn't jeopardize his health to-- to what? Get back at Iori? For what? For praising another admittedly impressive idol?

It was just Riku acting like such a spoiled brat.

But the second he thinks to how Iori looked while talking about Gaku, Riku tugs at his shirt so fiercely his knuckles turn white.

His breathing starts to get heavy and his chest tightens.

The redhead fumbles around for his inhaler, taking deep breaths that follow a pattern. He'd like to hum to calm himself down, but that might be even more stressful-- not to mention loud. Riku knew himself well enough to know that if he was going to hum, he'd probably zone out and end up singing instead. 

“I'm...a burden on him, too. He doesn't say it, and I'm-- I'm thankful for what he does, but… if he ever left me behind because I was too much…”

Riku takes his glasses off, setting them on his desk. He should put them back in the case they belong in, but not right now. Maybe in the morning.

“Iori… if you ever decided to leave me behind, I wonder if I could find it in myself to stop you. I'm always waiting for the day everyone leaves me, just like on that day.”

Tenn-nii half turning, eyes cold as ice. The kind twin brother Riku knew was suddenly gone before he could cry out to say “no”. Tenn-nii was gone before Riku could even blink.

“I said I'd be strong and move forward no matter what.” He pulls the covers of his bed down, climbing in. Riku snuggles in and curls up on his side, eyes glued to the ground. “But I just keep waiting. And waiting. And waiting. For the day everyone turns around and doesn't look back.”

He shuts his eyes.

* * *

 

Riku had always been a touchy-feely person, and probably always would be. He'd back off if someone told him to, and he would always watch out for signs of discomfort. 

The center felt  _ bad _ , yeah, for what he was doing. It was horrible of him to take those casual moments of affection and use them against Iori. And it was rude of him to use Tamaki's love for such an impure reason.

Ugh, why couldn't Riku just talk to Iori? But he was tired of talking. He didn't want to say it outright.

Riku wanted proof Iori cared about him in a way he could understand. Which was selfish and unfair, taking Iori's love for granted. 

“Iorin's late.” Tamaki says, staring blankly at the TV screen. Riku and Tamaki are cuddling in front of the screen, watching but not really watching some random show that had come on. 

They were just waiting for Iori to come back, really.

Tamaki, just like Riku, was a touchy-feely person who liked to cuddle. So they would. They always exchanged casual touches like it was nothing.

Which was nice, because things are hard and things hurt, and sometimes a hug is the best medicine for things that hurt.

The door opens and Iori walks in, immediately and  _ clearly _ losing his train of focus upon seeing Tamaki and Riku so close together. A flash of satisfaction hits Riku.

But then Iori's face goes back to normal and the redhead wants to scream. They just have a casual conversation and Iori goes back to his room to do homework. 

“Rikkun?” Tamaki asks, and Riku lifts his head from where it's resting on Tamaki's shoulder. “You okay?”

The redhead is taken aback, heart fluttering in his chest. Well, Tamaki noticed. Which meant it was probably really obvious that Riku was upset!

Maybe!!

“Ummm… yeah, I'm okay.” Riku replies after a lengthy silence. It wasn't really a lie, but it wasn't really the truth. 

It'd only been his first try, but honestly he was feeling discouraged. It would all be so much easier if Riku just went to talk to Iori, but he didn't  _ want _ to.

“Actually, I'm not sure. I don't know how I feel right now, or how I'm supposed to act…”

Tamaki nuzzles his cheek into Riku's like they were both cats. 

“It's okay, Rikkun. I'm here to listen to you.”

At first, Riku just sits and stares at the ground again, not willing to say anything-- mostly because he doesn't know what to say. 

“Tamaki,” he finally starts, gripping the end of the other boy's shirt. “Do you get jealous often?”

“Me?” Tamaki asks, pointing to himself before humming, deep in thought. “Mmn, can't say. Maybe sometimes, like when Sou-chan can eat spicy food without pausing. Why? Rikkun, are you jealous?”

“I--” Riku's flustered. “I don't know…”

Tamaki lets out a stifled laugh. “Rikkun, you're cute when you’re embarrassed. Does it have to do with Tenten?”

“With Tenn-nii? Well… it doesn't not have to do with him.”

Tenn-nii was part of Trigger, and so was Gaku… so technically, Tenn-nii did have something to do with it...

“That's confusing.” 

The redhead nods. “It is…”

At least it was confusing to someone other than Riku.

* * *

 

Frowning as he stirs honey in his milk, Riku gets lost in thought. Maybe it was because Tamaki and Riku were already so close that Iori didn't have any sort of satisfying response, which was frustrating to say the very least. 

Which meant that Riku needed to try again, and harder this time. Even though it made him feel sick with guilt--

For whatever reason, it felt  _ necessary. _

Yamato walks in, yawning. Riku looks up. He smiles at the other man.

“Yamato-san, evening. You want some?”

Approaching while yawning again, Yamato looks down at the drink. “Huh… it's rare to see you making it for yourself. Did you and Ichi have a fight or something?”

Urk.

“Well…” Riku shrugs his shoulders. The spoon makes clinking noises in the mug. “I wouldn't say we had a fight. He wasn't even saying anything.”

Yamato has a very adult-like look on his face. “Is that why you're upset? Ichi is the quiet type.”

“Quiet type? Iori's always scolding me! There's no way he's the quiet type.” Riku knows he's pouting. And it's frustrating that Yamato figured it out so easily. 

“Did you say anything?” 

Riku sips the hot drink. Even though it was made the same way, it always tasted better if Tenn-nii or Iori made it. Which just made him even more annoyed.

“No. ...It doesn't really matter, anyways. Maybe I'm just throwing a fit.” 

“Oh?” Nagi asks, suddenly present next to Riku. “Riku is throwing a fit?”

“Nah.” Yamato says, pulling out already opened can from the fridge. “He's just being hard on himself. Damn, this is flat already… it'd be a waste not to drink it, though.”

Nagi and Yamato start talking, but Riku really isn't listening. He doesn't really feel like being around anyone, which was rare. He dumps the rest of his drink into the sink, washing it as quickly as he can before returning to his room.

He leaves too quickly to see Nagi and Yamato's startled glances at each other.

“Did he just dump it out?” Yamato's jaw hangs open. 

“Yes…” Nagi's brows furrow. “What happened with Riku?”

A shrug. “I think him and Ichi had a fight.”

Riku shuts the door behind him, sliding down it with a sigh. He pulls his legs up to his chest and wraps his arms around himself.

“Stupid Iori.” 

Maybe if Riku went to talk to Iori. Actually, who's to say Iori even noticed in the first place? He was probably way too busy thinking about Gaku's pretty face. Or how nice his hands are, or  _ whatever.  _

...Okay. He shouldn't go talk to Iori like this if he was annoyed again. If  _ Iori _ wanted to talk to Riku, then he should! But Riku didn't expect anything, obviously. 

It's not early enough to sleep yet, but Riku makes his way under the covers anyways. Maybe a nap would help get rid of the unpleasant feeling in his heart. Distantly, Riku can hear the sound of a knock. It doesn't sound like it's at his door, but the room near him. 

Mitsuki, it sounded like.

“Can I talk to you?” Yamato's voice says, getting further and further away.

Riku was sleepier than he thought he was, because his eyes start to flutter shut until they close. He can only faintly hear the conversation. 

“I was talking to Riku, and I think he and Ichi…”

It cuts off.

* * *

 

A few days have passed since then, and Iori still hasn't talked to him. Riku's starting to get tired of being angry with no reaction. He'd kept up the pace, letting his affections run wild with everyone. At least, with IDOLiSH7's members, Riku knew their physical boundaries, so he knew it wouldn't make the person he was being clingy towards uncomfortable. 

The only thing that had changed was during dinner, Mitsuki would sometimes look at Iori with a tired look. Iori would just stare down at his plate like a kid who ate candy before dinner.

Yamato would look over at Mitsuki, too! And then Yamato at Nagi!

It was sort of stressful, actually. But clearly not enough for  _ Iori _ to do anything about it, but who's to say it was about their “fight”, honestly?

The only words spoken were behind closed doors, doors that Riku had no access to.

His phone buzzes, and he unlocks it to check the message. It's from Momo!

Momo would understand, right? He and Yuki were dating, probably. Or were they not? Well, either way it was tomato, potato.

Maybe that's not how the saying went.

Riku presses call before he can even fully register Momo's message, which was something about him being outside?

“Oh! Riku, you picked up!” 

His voice is so kind and warm. It's like a warm sweater on a cold day, and the redhead felt like he had been freezing to his inevitable death. 

“Momo-saaan!” Riku clutches the bottom of his sleeve, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. “I don't know what to do!”

A pause. “Well, um, first you turn the handle and then you pull--”

“H-huh?”

“Are you not asking how to open a door?” Momo sounds absolutely dumbfounded, but also slightly amused. “Did something happen?”

Riku started crying at some point. “I don’t know! Iori and I had a fight and I don’t know what to do!!” There’s a loud knock on the front door, and Riku turns his head. “Someone’s at the door, hold on.”

Silence from the other end as the redhead makes his way to the door, peeking through to see who it is. He swings it open, jaw dropping. Riku isn’t paying attention to the tears that are still slipping down his cheeks.

“Momo-san? When did you get here?”

His senpai winks slyly at him. “I’m magic! When my precious kouhai is upset, naturally I’d zoom to his side!”

“Oh…” Riku looks down at the ground, face crumpling in what seems to be defeat. “What do I do…?”

Momo pulls Riku into his arms, gently stroking his hair. “It’s okay, Riku. Do you want to talk about it?” 

He nods, hands gripping tightly onto Momo, as if he was going to drift away if he didn’t. Riku is still crying, body shaking gently. His chest heaves, and his eyes are squeezed shut. 

“Do you want to go back to your room so no one can hear?”

Another nod. The pair start walking, and Momo holds Riku’s hand tightly. They walk with Riku leaning on Momo, eyes still clamped tightly shut. The door next to their destination opens, and black hair is suddenly visible.

Riku still isn’t looking, because he’s too busy crying. Momo, however, makes eye contact with Iori and glares at him like the black haired male had just killed his first born. 

He shuts the door behind him, face not changing.

“Come here, Riku.” Momo takes a seat on Riku's beanbag, patting the spot next to him. Slowly and tentatively, he sits down. Momo pulls him closer, wrapping Riku in his arms and going back to stroking his hair. “Now, what's wrong?”

“Well,” Riku sniffles. “A while ago, we were talking about everyone from TRIGGER, and Iori kept going on and on about how pretty Yaotome-san is, and it made me upset and I'm sure he knows but--” He takes a heavy breath. “Iori’s ignoring me, and now the aura at dinner is tense and I hate it, but I don't want to give in!

“I know I should talk to Iori about it, but I don't want to… it feels like I'm always the one doing that! And I keep trying to get his attention but nothing is  _ working _ and I don't know why!!”

“So that's what happened… you poor thing, I can see why you'd be upset. I'd be too, if my darling did something like that!”

“I… I've been trying to make him jealous in hopes he'll say  _ something _ but so far it's no good…”

Momo pushes a tuft of Riku's hair behind his ear. “What did you try?”

“Um, it was Tamaki and I cuddling… maybe he didn't react because we do that all the time.” Riku nuzzles in closer to Momo, eyes filling up with tears all over again. “Some other things with everyone at the dorms… Maybe he really  _ doesn't _ like me.”

“Aw, Riku, I'm sure that's not true! There's no one in their right mind who would dislike you. But, if you want…” Momo tilts Riku's chin up with his hand, sly smile on his lips. “I can help you out, as long as you promise not to tell Yuki. He’ll probably get upset with me. ...Or maybe encourage me? My darling can be quite fickle.”

Looking crestfallen, Riku shakes his head. “It'd be bad if Yuki-san was upset with you, though.”

Momo's brows furrow, and he happily runs his hands through the red locks close to his face. He ruffles Riku's hair and kisses him on the top of the head.

“It's worth it for my precious kouhai!”

Riku smiles, small and almost hidden. “Okay. Thank you, Momo-san.” He scoots in closer, looking like a contented cat.

“No need to thank me! It's my pleasure.”

* * *

 

Just like that, they started out on their plan. 

Operation: Make Iori Jealous! 

Knowing he had a partner to help him and validate how he was feeling really helped Riku. Even though he still felt guilty about it, it was kind of already happening. Which was reassuring in the weirdest way possible.

Riku flops face first on his bed, rolling over on his back as soon as his phone dings. As expected, it’s from Momo. He’d been waiting on a message for all of ten minutes, which wasn’t long-- but it felt like an eternity. 

It’s just an image, which takes about twenty seconds to load. But the feeling right after was something incomparable to anything else. Gaku and Momo. Momo’s smiling, and Gaku is driving, which means that Riku needed to get ready. Well, he’s already been ready, but he needed to be ready _ -er _ . 

Riku practically bounces out of his beanbag, pausing briefly to look in the mirror at his appearance. 

The plan was simple. Momo was going to get Gaku to visit the dorms, who had somehow agreed to actually flirt with Riku in Iori’s presence. How Momo got Gaku to agree was a mystery to Riku, but whatever. He’d ask later, if everything went well.

Which it would. Hopefully.

Actually, what was the end result he wanted? Riku realizes he should have thought about what he wanted to happen as a result beforehand, but it was way too late for that now, and all he could do from here was move forward. 

So he does.

Riku lets Gaku be as touchy as he wants, and it’s… a lot less foreign than he thought it would be. Maybe it’s because of all the time Gaku spent with Tenn-nii, but even his smiles seemed familiar, in a way. 

His touches were like a summer breeze. 

It all felt way too easy, too natural. It blew past Riku, tousled his hair and left him shivering for a brief moment. No matter what heat had been overtaking him, the breeze would come without fail to bring him relief. The only downside was the desire for more. When the oppressive summer heat took his breath away-- Gaku’s hand touching Riku’s briefly felt like a formidable substitute for oxygen.

Really, it should be Iori touching Riku’s hand like this. It  _ should _ be Iori, but it’s not. Even if it hurt, Riku wasn’t going to quit halfway through even if he wanted to. Momo worked hard for this, and even got Gaku to agree to help. 

If Gaku was a summer breeze, then Iori would be the moon on a clear night. Ever present, but sometimes he felt distant. Unlike the sun, you could look straight at it. It wasn’t like the sun, where looking up would temporarily blind you and rid you of your senses. 

It was breathtaking. 

There was a craving Riku couldn’t get from anyone else. That feeling in his chest when Iori would look at him, be in the same room as him, speak to him, talk to him. 

It could be overwhelming and burning hot. 

It could be an all consuming and chilling cold.

Without the moon, the world would be…

Riku looks up to see the scariest expression on Iori’s face he’d ever seen. When did he walk in? How long had Iori been standing there?

And then-- regret washes over Riku like a wave. 

He felt like a pebble that was on the beach, carried away with the tide and never to be seen again. That look was oppressive and shook the redhead down to his core. It wasn’t often Riku had to look at such an intensely angry expression.

The guilt burns through his veins like poison. 

But it was more than regret or guilt. Ignoring the thrill and the desire. The part of him that leaped with joy over the expression on Iori’s face, or the way his brows furrowed-- how his whole body went just a smidge more tense than usual. 

What was overpowering all those conflicting emotions…

Riku could recognize the feeling of  _ fear.  _ A fear of what, exactly?

Of Gaku, that familiar summer breeze?

Of Iori, the moon that hung in the sky?

Not knowing why Iori was so angry-- was he going to take it out on Riku, or worse, Gaku? If he did, Riku felt he might just curl up in a ball and wither away. Was Iori upset because Gaku was touching Riku, or because Riku was touching Gaku? Which one did Iori like better?

It should be Riku, but with that look the redhead didn’t know what was going to happen next. He was afraid. So terrified. So shook to his core he worried an attack would happen any second.

This moment where Iori looked at Riku, then looked at the hand Gaku had resting on Riku’s thigh like it was natural for it to be there.

It had been a short moment, less than a minute. Less than thirty seconds, even. But that moment of terror had suspended into eternity. It was the name on a gravestone, carved in for as long as that grave would stand. 

“Yaotome-san,” Iori starts, tone delicate and gentle, similar to how you’d reprimand a child for their misbehavior. But the look in his eyes wasn’t gentle. It was an animalistic look, with his fangs and claws bared for the world to see.

Riku had no clue if he was in love with that look or terrified of it’s mere existence. “What are you doing here?” 

Gaku sits down further on the couch, draping his arm over the edge as his face contorts into a sly smile that seemed just as threatening as Iori’s. 

“Simple. I was invited.”

“Oh?” Iori asks, sparing a glance at Riku. His eyes don’t narrow further until he looks back at Gaku. “By Nanase-san?”

The white haired man’s eyes gleam like a cat who spotted its prey’s weak spot. He leans in closer to Riku, but tilts his chin up in a way that boasted confidence. “More or less.”

“I’d prefer a more satisfying answer. If you’re in our dorms, the least you could do is properly answer my question.”

With a laugh, Gaku shakes his head. “My, my. Is this what you’re like at home, Izumi-otoutou? For someone with such a cool expression, you can be awfully possessive.” 

Iori’s teeth grit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but in any case, please do not try and change the subject from my original question.”

“You should just admit it already.” Gaku’s tone is firm. “I’ll take him away from you, you know? Sweep him off his feet. Or maybe Tenn’ll be more honest about his overprotective streak and bring you down like a domino.” 

Quicker than Riku had ever seen before, Iori grabs Riku by the wrist of the couch and pulls him in close, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Get out.” 

“How demanding of you.” 

Like he was hissing, Iori leans in. The sun has begun to set, and the sun’s rays peek in through the windows, casting an ominous shadow over Iori’s face. “Do you need me to repeat myself?  _ Get out. _ I don’t think it’d be very good for TRIGGER if you remained here.” 

“Iori…” Riku says, quietly. He wants to stop him, but doesn't know how. This was all his fault, wasn't it? He can feel tears prick in the corners of his eyes.

Finally, the dark haired male glances over at him. His glare just barely softens. “Be quiet, Nanase-san. Not right now. We can talk  _ later. _ ”

A chill goes down Riku's spine.

Gaku stands, looking unamused. “Yes, yes. I know when I'm not wanted, and when I've stepped too far into another man's  _ territory.  _ I'll leave for now. Riku. Izumi-otoutou.” He kisses Riku's cheek as he leaves, further fanning the flames. As he passes Iori, he claps a hand on his shoulder, whispers something, and exits through the front door. It's left open.

Looking thoroughly pissed off, Iori sticks his head through the front door. “Are you so incapable you can't even shut a door properly?” He then proceeds to slam the door so hard the house practically shakes. It seems like it takes a second for him to even remember where he is.

Riku, however, has sat back on the couch, staring at the ground. Tears have started to drip down his cheeks, and he's fiddling with his jacket. He sniffles every now and then.

Iori gets closer, looking like a deer in headlights. “...Nanase-san, why are you crying?” 

“Because,” The redhead starts, frantically wiping his tears. “Iori's scary and it's my fault you're mad…”

The dark haired male sighs, putting his head in his hands. “It's not your fault, Nanase-san. It's not like you controlled Yaotome Gaku's actions just then. So it can't be your fault.”

Riku looks even more guilty, turning his face towards the kitchen. He's still crying. “W-well…”

“...Nanase-san, you didn't--” 

Iori's interrupted by Nagi's loud entrance into the living room, complete with loud footsteps of the Pythagoras Trio trailing behind. “Oh, Iori.” He says, words overly pronounced. “Could it be you've made Riku cry?”

“No, no, I-- I didn't particularly make him cry…”

Mitsuki appears from behind Nagi, hands on his hips. But he has a suspicious gleam in his eye. “Iori, you really went and made our center cry? I raised you better than this!” 

“Uwah,” Yamato starts, voice heavy with sarcasm. “You're even outdoing this Onii-san.”

Iori considers death. To who? Himself, and this stupid trio. “What does that even mean, Nikaidou-san? Nii-san, Rokuya-san, it's not like I made him cry…”

Riku sniffles, ill-timed. Iori freezes. 

“Now isn't the time for your tsundere lines, Ichi. You should apologize to Riku probably, yeah? You two have been fighting for weeks at this point.”

Iori's about to open his mouth and defend himself, because it wasn't just him that needed to apologize. It was Riku, too, but--

“No… it's okay.” Riku says, quietly. “It wasn't Iori's fault… I went out of my way just now to make him upset, so it's my fault. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.” He glances up at Iori, the image of perfect puppy dog eyes. “I'm sorry, Iori.”

Iori's heart beats rapidly out of his chest, and he forces himself to look away because that expression was way too powerful. He could feel his cheeks start to heat up. 

"Wow…” Mitsuki comments. “Iori, your face is really red.”

Their leader has a grin on his face, that keeps getting wider and wider. “Isn't that just Riku's affect on Ichi?”

The dark haired male is  _ tired _ of this. He pulls Riku up by his arm. “Nanase-san. We're going back to my room. These three idiots are way too loud.”

In turn, the three of them each clutch their hearts, clearly wounded by Iori's harsh words. Granted, Yamato's reaction was significantly more sarcastic, but what did it matter?

Iori slams the door to his bedroom shut, huffing under his breath. He takes a long, deep inhale, and just breathes for a second. Then, he turns to look at Riku.

He's mostly stopped crying for now, but there are still a couple of tears dripping down his cheeks. Iori sighs, and gets closer to his center. Carefully, he brushes the tears away.

Riku sniffles. “I'm sorry, Iori… it wasn't right of me to do that… I'm sorry for being stupid and mean.”

Iori sighs. “Nanase-san, you need to tell me what you did first.”

“Oh, um…” Riku's cheeks flush, and he fiddles with his jacket again.

_ Cute,  _ Iori thinks.

“...Um, well… it first started a couple weeks ago. Iori was talking about Yaotome-san, in a way that… made me feel, um… really jealous. And-- Iori, you always say that you know me better than anyone, but you didn't even say anything even though I was upset! Even though you say you're the one always watching me, more than anyone else!”

Iori realizes just how embarrassing the words he says without thinking are. It's a pity he only realized after they were said back to him. He tries to get his feelings back together, and to keep his train of thought in one place. “Yes, yes. I did say those things.” He feels his cheeks burn. 

“I thought you would notice, or at least say something...but you didn't, and that made me really sad. It made me feel like you were lying to me. And… I didn't like that. But no matter what I did, you kept ignoring me! And I didn't know what to do, so I just kept trying. And Momo-san said he had a good idea, so I went along with it without thinking. I didn't realize Iori would get so upset about it, because I thought… you didn't care at all.”

Oh. Riku thought he didn't care at all, but that wasn't the case whatsoever. He cared  _ too  _ much, and that's why he responded so explosively. 

“Oh.” Iori says.

Riku's face falls, and he looks so much like a kicked puppy that Iori's heart lurches in his chest. “...I'm sorry…”

The dark haired male clears his throat, looking embarrassed. “It's...okay, Nanase-san. I forgive you. It was in part, my fault, for acting so irrationally. I… don't like seeing you being so… affectionate towards other people. It's true that I… would prefer to be the only person you turn to for everything. So seeing you be like that with other people made me feel like I wasn't important to you. And that… made me jealous. I wasn't sure how to handle it, and I didn't know how to deal with how strong this feeling was, so I… ignored it. And that wasn't fair to you or your feelings, Nanase-san. I'm sorry.”

Riku finally, finally,  _ finally  _ smiles. He's like a rainbow after a storm, sunlight peeking through rain clouds. “It's okay, Iori. I forgive you. Will you forgive me?”

Iori nods. 

The redhead dives in for a hug, burying his face in Iori's chest. The latter's heart nearly stops entirely, but he affectionately pets Riku's hair. “Yes, Nanase-san. I forgive you. Next time, let's talk to each other properly, instead of fighting.”

Riku looks up at him, eyes sparkling. “Okay… promise?”

“Yes, yes, Nanase-san. I promise.”

The redhead smiles, and leans in closer to kiss Iori on the cheek. Iori feels his cheeks go redder than Riku's hair, redder than a tomato, redder than Sougo's meals--

“Ehehe, Iori looks cute when he's blushing like that.”

“B-be quiet, Nanase-san…!” 

But Riku keeps giggling, leaning in to continue kissing various parts of Iori's face. His cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his eyelids...the two of them are so invested in each other, they don't notice the crowd of people at Iori's door, three of whom are crying.

Mitsuki is drying his eyes. “They grow up so fast.”

Yamato wipes tears from his eyes. “Don't they?”

**Author's Note:**

> don't try this at home kids
> 
> I'VE BEEN FORGETTING ABOUT THIS FIC FOR LITERALLY A YEAR AND I FINALLY FINISHED IT THANK FUCKING GOD
> 
> mad dog iori 2k19
> 
> alright. okay. cool. we did it kids. please enjoy the fic! my twitter is @shindouchrono, and if you enjoyed my work feel free to kudo, comment, or hmu on twitter!! i had a lot of fun writing this lol


End file.
